The LG CineBeam AI ThinQ 4K Laser Projector is a decor-friendly solution: when turned on, its expansive screen transforms the wall into an immersive experience. But when off, the minimalist design blends back into any space.

By all appearances, the LG CineBeam AI ThinQ 4K Laser Projector is a bit of a cypher. Is it a wireless smart speaker? A sound bar? A new gaming console? Its compact minimalist design does not reveal much, intentionally spare and modern, intended to blend naturally into any decor. Adorned in a swath of Kvadrat textile, the LG CineBeam HU85LA’s handsome front offers a deceptive cover for an array of video, audio, and smart home technology designed to transform nearly any room into an immersive home theater experience with a picture as large as 120-inches from just 7-inches away from a wall.

Those averse to technology dominating the interior decor will particularly admire the restraint and forethought LG designers put into their home theater technology. Alongside its almost contemporary architectural form, the LG CineBeam’s decor-friendly front is covered with a specially engineered acoustic version of Kvadrat, the same Danish textile popularly used to cover upholstery, furniture, pillows, rugs, curtains, and numerous other interior architectural applications by designers around the world. The luxurious touch of textured grey seamlessly blends into any interior space.

There’s no need to disrupt the interior decor of a modern space with a huge screen or television with the LG CineBeam AI ThinQ 4K Laser Projector. Hardly anyone will suspect that blank wall plays double duty as your home theater until you activate your system.

Until now, short throw projection technology has remained mostly a home theater enthusiast’s secret. As the name implies, these systems project pictures from a modest distance in dimensions dwarfing the average television. They’re a fantastic solution for anyone who wants to enjoy a huge picture, but have only a modest amount of space to work with. They also work equally well in large rooms, delivering an immense cinematic experience measured by feet rather than inches, all without the intrusive presence of a large television permanently hung on the wall (and also supremely effective of making a perfectly good 65-inch seems sorely insufficient in light of a 120-inch screen).

The decor-friendly disappearing act offered by a short throw projection system is a definite perk of the technology, especially for those who like their Netflix and Blu-rays, but aren’t so keen on living with a large TV in intimate spaces like the bedroom.

The new LG CineBeam AI ThinQ 4K Laser Projector takes these inherent advantages of short throw projection to new limits, producing a 90-inch picture from just 2.2-inches distance from any surface. Pull back just 7-inches away from a wall, and the projector puts out an enormous 120-inch diagonal picture. The picture is not only large, but crystal clear and bright, thanks to the LG CineBeam’s 4K UHD and HDR enhanced resolution delivering a sum of 8.3 million discrete pixels (3840 x 2160) – a resolution that should be future-proofed for years to come.

One knock against conventional projectors is they are prone to a dull, washed out picture unless placed within a completely darkened space. The HU85LA adopts 3Ch Laser Technology to create Red, Green, and Blue color in different light sources.producing up to 2,700 lumens brightness. That’s bright enough to allow the LG CineBeam to be watched even when some natural light intrudes. Goodbye blackout curtains and dedicated home theater room, and hello living room, bedroom, home office, or any other room where you hope to get your binge on. It’s a solution that adapts to your lifestyle and decor rather than demands you change your home for it. And you’ll have plenty of options to choose from, with Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, LG Channels, Google Play Movies, FandangoNow, and Spotify Music all accessible natively.

The short throw capability of the HU85LA is housed within a compact housing just 26.8 x 5.0 x 13.7-inches large. This means the CineBeam looks comfortable sitting across a console, table, desk, or any flat elevated surface near a wall, all without the intrusive presence of a wall mounted television. From a design perspective, the Kvadrat-covered front is handsome and inconspicuous in subtle contrast to the projector’s white rectilinear finish (hiding a pair of 5W + 5W stereo speakers within), a simple combination of form and texture that won’t detract or distract wherever it’s placed within a room.

A new optical system using a three-channel laser separates primary colors into RGB ditches the traditional blue laser and color wheel for much more realistic color reproduction without color loss and a 12-point keystone adjustment feature to keep the picture in proportion.

A smart home can never become a reality if individual components stay stupidly walled off from one another. Thus, LG has equipped the LG CineBeam with the Smart TV webOS operating system (the same as LG OLED televisions) and supplemented it with their own ThinQ technology for seamless connectivity across various services and devices. Google Assistant and LG own AI ThinQ are also in there to help the system recognize both intent and context of any questions directed its way. That means when you ask, “who is that guy?” while watching a TV show, the AI ThinQ-enabled CineBeam responds understanding you’re interested in knowing more about the actor(s) on the screen. It also plays nice with a myriad of smart home devices via the incorporation of Google Assistant voice commands, so you won’t have to interrupt your evening of “just one more episode” to dim those lights, lock the doors, and feed your pets without ever getting up from the sofa.

The extremely short throw distance of the LG Laser 4K CineBeam opens doors of possibilities in regard to placement, turning nearly any spare wall into a home theater screen up to 120-inches large – an Immersive Home Cinema made in minimal space.

The LG CineBeam AI ThinQ 4K Laser Projector is for anyone who wants the finest picture of 4K HDR television all without the television itself – a minimalist powerhouse stocked with smart technology and AI-enhanced features that hints how one day we won’t ever worry about which room to place the television in, because “practically any flat surface” will potentially become our next favorite venue for viewing.

Gregory Han is Tech Editor of Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.